Coin chute for coin collectors



Nov. 2, 1937.

P. E; MOILLS 1 2,097,498

COIN CHUTE FOR COIN COLLECTORS #vvmvron y REM/LLS A 7' TORNE V P. E. MILLS com CHUTE FOR COIN COLLECTORS Nov. 2, 1937,

Original Filed June 16, 1936 3 Shets-Shgt 2 /NVENTOR By R E. M/L LS ATTORNEY Nov. 2, 1937. P. E. MILLS COIN CHUTE FOR COIN COLLECTORS 3 Sfieets-Sheet 5 Original Filed June 16, 1936* INVENTOR By REM/LLS A TTORNE V Patented Nov. 2, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE COIN GHUTE FOR COIN COLLECTORS Percy E. Mills, Towaco, N. J., assignor to Bell Telephone Laboratories, Incorporated,

York, N. Y a corporation of New York New Original application June 16, 1936, :SerialNo.

85,448. Divided and this application October 10, 1936, Serial No. 104,972

4 Claims.

This invention relates to coin chutes, particularly to those intended for use in coin operated In accordance with the primary object of thisinvention the acceptance of underweight slugs is prevented by providing a pivoted member having an arm which projects across the coin channel for contacting each deposited coin or slug. The bottom wall of the channel immediately preceding and below the pivoted arm has a gap so arranged that the momentum of a genuine coin is sufficient to permit the coin to leap the gap and continue on down the coin passage in spite of the loss incurred in knocking the pivoted arm out of the coin channel. A light-weight slug, however, in striking the pivoted arm will lose so much momentum that it will be unable to leap the gap in the bottom of the runway and hence is rejected through this opening.

This application is a division of my application Serial No. 85,448, filed June 16, 1936 on Coin chutes for coin collectors.

Referring to the drawings: Fig. 1 is a rear view of the coin chute assembly of this invention;

Fig. 2 is a front view of the coin chute assembly;

Fig. 3 is a rear view of the center plate of'the coin chute;

Fig. 4 is rear view of the front plate of the coin chute;

Fig. 5 illustrates the general manner of mounting a coin chute in a telephone coin collector;

Figs. 6, 7 and 8 are sectional views of the underweight slug rejector taken along the line 6-6 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 9 illustrates an alternative type of'swing ing' weight for securing the rejection of lightweight coins or slugs.

The coin collector coin chute illustrated in the attached drawings is, in general, of the conventional type in that it comprises front, center and rear plates suitably fastened together with a quarter runway between the front and center plates, and nickel and dime runways between the rear and center plates conforming in general construction to the type of coin chute disclosed in the O. F. Forsberg United States Patent 1,043,219, issued November 5, 1912. The manner inwhiohthe coin chute isymounted in a laterally inclined position within a telephone. coin collector II is shown in Fig. 5. The coin gauge 12 on top of the collector H has separate openings for receiving nickels, dimes and quarters and individual runways for these coins are provided in the coin chute 13 in order that the coins may be tested in certain particulars before dropping into a coin hopper 14.

Fig. 1 shows the rear view of the coin chute assembly and FigLZshows the front view. The

rear cover plate l5 of Fig. 1 has been removed in Fig. 3 to show the nickel and dime runways formed in the rear sideof the center plate 16. Referring more particularly to Fig. 3 the coin entrance for nickels is at the point I! whereupon" the genuine coin follows a longitudinally inclined passage between walls l8 and [9 until the coin strikes an arm of a washer rejector 20 which prevents the coin from continuing further in the same direction and causes the coin to drop through an opening in the bottom wall between the points 21 and 22 whereupon it is guided in the reverse direction by bottom wall 23. After reaching the lower end of bottom wall 23 the coin drops onto the bottom wall 24 and passes alongside the under-diameter reject opening 25 of the usual-type. The coin after rolling off the lower end of wall 24 strikes a pivoted arm .26 which normally projects into the runway for deflecting'lightweight coinsintoa discharge opening located between projection 21 and the pole 28 of a magnet forming'the termination of wall 24. However, a genuine coin has'suilicient momentum to knock arm 26 outside the runway and continue to the right of projection 21 down a passage between walls 29 and 3,0 to' strike the lower edge of gong 3| and then down through Fig. 5.

The entrance for a dime is at thepoint 3-3 and the deposited dime rolls along bottom wall 34 past a suitable under-diameterreject' opening 35. The lower end of-wall 3 l comprises a pole 36 of .a straight bar magnetfor deflecting magnetic coins. The direction of travel of the dime is reversed by curved wall .31 and the dime-then encounters an arm of a washer rejector 38 which stops the dime from continuing on in the same direction, and allows the coin to drop through an opening in the bottom wall of therunway'between the points 39 and J40 whereupon the coin strikes the upper edgeof the-be1l'3l. Afterstrik ing the bell the dime continues down a channel between two rows-of pins ,41. each row are spaced apart azdistance substan tiallyless than the coin diameter-toprevent a outlet opening 32 into "the coin hopper M of Adjacent pinsin 5 rows are staggered. Since the channel defined drops out through the exit opening 32 into the 7 the two successive strikings by pins positioned in this staggered manner is tortuous it follows that the coin bounces back and forth in a zigzag course between the pins until it strikes the lower edge of the bell and coin hopper I4 of Fig. 5. This irregular course of the dime considerably increases the time for the dime to travel from the upper edge to the lower edge of bell 3|, and, therefore, insures that correctly heard by the remote operator.

The washer rejector for'the nickel runway and the washer rejector'38 for the dime runway are of the star wheel type and are described and 20 claimed in my above-mentioned patent appliwasher such as washer 51 dime runway will freely pass through the rejector cation Serial No. 85,448. When a washer is deposited in the nickel runway, the washer will freely pass through the rejector 28 and be discharged from the chute through opening 6|. A when deposited in the 38 and be discharged from the chute through opening 6|. V a p It will be noted that the lower end of bottom 'wall 34 in the first inclined portion of the dime runway terminates in one pole of a straight bar magnet 36 to secure rejection of magnetic slugs that are not rejected by under-diameter reject opening 35. As shown in Fig.1, the bar magnet 5, 36 projects outwardly substantially perpendicular to the plane of plate I5 at least for a substantial distance although the remainder of the bar magnet may be bent in any suitable manner to avoid any apparatus on the adjacent coin collector base 78 of Fig. 5. The magnet may be held in any suitable manner as by a clamp 13 supported by upturned lugs formed from cover IS. The strength of magnet 36 netic slug will pivot around the magnet against upper wall 1| and pass above the arms of star wheel 38 asshownby magnetic'slug 72 and be ejected through opening 6| in-the same manner as the washers.

The lower end of bottom wall 24 in the nickel runway terminates in a pole of a straight bar magnet 28 which for a substantial portion of its length projects away from the chute in a direction substantially perpendicular to cover l5 and is held by a suitable clamp 14 mounted on the cover l5. It will be apparent that magnetic slugs will be diverted by magnet 28 and caused to fall between magnet 28 and-projection ZL strike the retaining wall 75 and fall out of the chute through opening 76. V

The nickel runway is also provided with means for causing the rejection of lightweightslugs eventhough they are of the same diameter-and thickness as a legitimate. coin, as will be explained in connection with the sectional viewsshown in Figs. 6, 7 and 8. Mounted on the rear' cover |5 of thechute is an adjustable mounting plate 88 which supports a pivoted lightweight slug rejecting member 26 having an arm 8| projecting through a narrow slot 82 in cover I5 across the runway and projecting slightly into a narrow slot 83 in the center section l6. As shown in Fig. 1 this swinging member 26 is pivoted for movement of its projecting arm 8| in a direction coinciding with the direction a legiti mate coin takes in passing from bottomwall 24 of the bell will be should be such that a magnon 85 resting against the cover plate l5 below slot .82. This position maintains finger 8| directed straight across the runway, tending to block the passage of any coin which does not I possess sufiicient momentum to knock finger 8| clockwise out of the runway. Legitimate nickel coins after leaving bottom wall 23 and reversing *their direction along bottom wall 24 leave the end 28 of the bottom wall with a substantially constant velocity and the effective weight of member 26 is such that a legitimate coin such as coin 86 of Fig. 7 will have sufficient momentum to knock finger 8| out of the runway and continue on past finger. 8| to the right of projection 21, Fig. 3, and on down between walls 29, 88. The maximum clockwise rotation of finger 8| is reached when lug 88 strikes cover I 5.

A lightweight slug traversing the nickel runway such as slug 81, Fig. 8, will not possess the neces sary momentum to. knock finger 8| out of the coin passage andwill be sufliciently retarded that it will not be able to pass to the right 'of projection 21 but will strike to the left of tip 2'! and be rejected through opening 76 in thesame manner as magnetic slugs previously described. Such a rejection of a lightweight slug is shown in Fig. 8. It will be apparent that projection 21 due to retarding action offinger 8| serves to divide the standard weight coins from lightweight slugs.

It is preferable that the width of the gap between magnet 28 and the adjacent edge of finger 8| in its normal position should be somewhat greater than the diameter of a standard nickel, so that lightweight discs which do not move finger 8| appreciably will have sufiicient space to fall through to reach reject opening 16. It is also advisable that the gap between tip 2'! and the adjacent lower edge of finger 8| should be somewhat greater than the diameter of a standard nickel in order to prevent an occasional rejection of a standard nickel which may not be moving fast enough to pass finger 8l'before finger 8| returns into the chute after impact with the coin. With the distance between tip 21 and finger 8| greaterthan the coin diametersuch a coin will still have room'to pass below finger 8| and be accepted.. 7 I 4 Fig. 2: shows the front face and Fig. 4 the rear the point 90 and after passing along bottom wall 9| encounters a star wheel washer rejector 92 of the same type as'rejectors 20 and 38. The washer rejector 92 will not permit agenuinequarter to pass through it and hence the'quarter will drop onto the bottom wall '93. pass the'under-diameter reject-opening '66, pass alongfcurved end wall 94 and strike a lightweight coin rejector 95 which will be knocked'out of the runway by the quarter' to permit the quarter to'strike a spiral gong 96 and continue through the finalrunway portion 91' into the coin hopper M of Fig. 5.

The pivoted lightweight slug rejector 95 for the quarter'runway is of a construction similar to that described for the nickel runway except that it is somewhat heavier so as to distinguish properly between the weight of a legitimate quarter and a slug which is subtantially lighter in weight. A lightweight slug will be slowed up enough by the finger 95 to cause the slug to drop to the right of the upper end of dividing wall 98 and hence will be ejected through opening 99 without striking the signaling device 96. The finger 95 projects more than completely across the quarter runway and partially enters a groove or slot in center section I6, substantially in the manner previously described for the corresponding member in the nickel channel.

Fig. 9 discloses an alternative form of the swinging member of Figs. 6 to 8 for rejecting lightweight coins or slugs as applied to the quarter runway of Fig. 4. Pivoted on a substantially horizontal axis at the point I I and external to the quarter runway section I l l (corresponding to section 65 of Fig. 4) is a swinging member H2 having a right-angle tab H3 which enters the quarter runway through a slot H4 and projects completely across the runway to occupy substantially the same position as the coin impact portion of the rejecting member 95 of Fig. 4. When arm i I3 is struck by a legitimate coin it is knocked out of the way and the coin proceeds down the acceptance chute between walls I I5 and H6 but it will be obvious that a lightweight coin will be retarded suiiiciently to cause its rejection through the reject opening H1.

It will, of course, be obvious that, if desired, a lightweight coin rejector similar to rejector 26 may be incorporated in the dime runway.

What is claimed is:

1. In a coin operated device, a longitudinally inclined coin chute having opposed side walls and a bottom wall down which a deposited coin rolls on its edge, said bottom wall having an aperture sufficient to receive a coin of standard dimensions and a pivoted member having an arm extending completely across said chute above said aperture whereby coins of less than predetermined weight will be deflected into said aperture, the coin contacting portion of said arm normally lying in a plane substantially at right angles to one of said side walls. I

2. In a coin operated device, a longitudinally inclined coin chute having opposed side walls and a bottom wall down which a deposited coin rolls on its edge, said bottom wall having an aperture greater than the diameter of the standard coin, and means whereby coins of less than a predetermined weight will be deflected into said aperture, said means comprising a pivoted member having an arm extending transversely and completely across said chute, the distance between the coin contacting portion of said arm and the initial portion of said bottom wall subsequent to said aperture being greater than the diameter of a standard coin.

3. In a coin operated device, a longitudinally inclined coin chute having opposed side walls and a bottom wall down which a depositedcoin rolls on its edge, said bottom wall having an aperture greater than the diameter of a standard coin, one of said side walls having an elongated slot and means whereby coins of less than a predetermined weight will'be deflected into said aperture, said means comprising a pivoted member pivoted externally of said chute and having an arm biased to project transversely through said slot completely across said chute above said aperture,

the surface of said arm in the direction of coin approach being substantially at right angles to one of said side walls.

4. In a coin operated device, a longitudinally inclined coin chute having opposed side walls and a bottom wall down which a deposited coin rolls on its edge, said bottom wall having an aperture greater than the diameter of a standard coin and a pivoted member having an arm extending transversely across said chute above said aperture whereby coins of less than a predetermined weight will be deflected into said aperture, said member being pivoted externallyv of said chute and the pivoting axis of said member with respect to the direction of coin travel being located forwardly of the coin contacting portion of said arm.

PERCY E. MILLS. 

